


The Greatest Treasure

by Cloud_Nine



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse of Khuzdul, Bearded Dwarf Women, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwobbit Bilbo Baggins, F/M, Female Bilbo, Learning to be a family while on an adventure, M/M, Young Bilbo Baggins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-07 05:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5445383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Nine/pseuds/Cloud_Nine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Burglar are you well?” Thorin asked and Bilbo whined, she couldn’t believe the horrible prank was turning this mess. “Oin! Come tend our burglar something is wrong!” </p><p>“NO!” Bilbo shouted sitting up quickly  while pulling her hood up as well. “Fili just embarrassed me is all.” She said sniffling. </p><p>“Is it your beard? It’s a nice beard.” Fili assured, “Better than Kili’s that for sure.” </p><p>Bilbo and Kili’s shouts were simultaneous.</p><p>Thorin looked at his sister-son curiously, “I didn’t know hobbits grew beards.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bilbo knew what she was, her mother wasn’t ashamed of her relationship with the dwarf passing through to the Blue Mountains but still growing up had been difficult being part hobbit and part dwarf. Belladonna and Bungo playfully called her a dwobbit, but Bilbo didn’t care for the word. 

No. She was a hobbit, never mind being part dwarf, she was a hobbit and a damn proper one at that. Never mind her hair was a bit straighter than most of the other lasses; straight hair was pretty too! And so what if her nose was a bit sharper, it made her look exotic. It wasn’t as if she had soft feet either, sure they might have been a bit smaller than other hobbits, but they were just as tough. Bilbo refused to even think about the beard... Bilbo Baggins was a perfectly normal hobbit woman, she was honestly. 

Never mind that she never did have the head for plants that her mother boasted, she did take after Bungo in her love for books but that was a learned trait. Of course the love of dwarfish history came after her mother had told her the truth, Bilbo learned all she could about the secretive people. She read their history and kept up with their news as best she could. 

Her love of shiny things was well known, Bilbo hoarded her treasures like a dragon and with each small stone she found it grew, Belladonna assured her daughter that was a normal female impulse but Bilbo felt otherwise. 

All in all Bilbo Baggins did her best to act as a proper hobbit lady, never mind her rather dwarvish mannerism or looks but the hobbits of the Shire sensed weakness and difference in the daughter of Belladonna and Bungo Baggins. 

Growing up Bilbo was teased for her straight hair and the dusting of hair on her cheeks that not even the hobbit lads had, but she got back at them by cooking rather lovely tarts. 

As a tween she had been told rather plainly that she would never be courted, after all what kind of respectable hobbit would find her attractive? She was too thin, never being able to maintain the softness of the hobbit form, her metabolism was just too quick. Not to mention the hair, everything about her hair was wrong, she had too much on her face and not nearly enough on her feet. Bilbo Baggins was the most disgusting creature in all the Hobbiton and probably the entire Shire and Buckland and everyone knew it. 

Finally, as a middle aged spinster at 50 Bilbo Baggins was alone in Bag End, which she shouldn’t have right to being a half-breed according to some relatives, feeling so very out of sorts. Belladonna had thought that maybe her daughter would age differently than the hobbits and Bilbo had an awful feeling that she was right, having only started puberty a few months after her 40th birthday. As it turned out dwarf blood won out. 

Perhaps that was why when Gandalf came to her about an adventure after her initial rejection she warmed up to the idea, never mind the haunting song that the company sang that felt her chilled to her bones and ignited a strange fire in her heart. 

Of course Bilbo should have realized a few things about travel in the wilderness, there reached a point and time when you could not take care of your personal hygiene like was proper and that’s why the company awoke to a moody and withdrawn Bilbo Baggins. 

“What’s wrong with our burglar, Fee?” Kili asked his brother, his eyes never leaving the sullen form of form of the hobbit. Bilbo hadn’t felt the need to inform the dwarrow of her...quirk of genetics. 

The golden haired prince shrugged he too staring at her curiously. “She’s been wearing that hood for six days straight, you’d think she’d be hot with the cloak and all.” 

Kili nodded and suddenly an idea came to him. The mischievous dwarf offered his brother a sly smile, the company had settled for the day, letting the ponies rest and letting the company get some needed sleep and a bath in the nearby by river if needed. “How about we make her pull her hood down? She’s probably got a blemish or something. You know how girls are.” 

Fili chuckled and offered his brother a grin, normally the princes were more mature if only to prove they were not too young for the quest but in this peaceful moment they allowed themselves to be what they were, boys.

Ever so carefully the two began to work, Fili would engage their burglar and Kili would come up behind her and pull the hood off, easy simple and likely to get them yelled at but no one would get hurt. Simple innocent fun. 

“Bilbo? Are you in there?” Fili called crouching down near the hobbit who had her nose in one of Ori’s journals. 

The heavy fabric of the cloak rustled as she looked up, her face still shadowed. “Is there something you need, Mister Fili?” 

“Nah, just came to see my favorite burglar is all, nothing wrong with that is there?” Fili asked with a smile. 

Bilbo, having grown up with an abundance of Took cousin’s was weary, and suddenly she realized that she didn't know where Kili was and where Fili went his brother was never far behind. 

A sudden tug found Bilbo free of her hood and the laughter of the two dwarrow made her eyes sting horribly. Bilbo grit her teeth, “You!” She never finished as Fili stared at her face in confusion. 

“I thought hobbit’s didn’t grow beards?” 

Bilbo gasped and touched a hand to her jaw line before turning away in shame. Beneath her fingers she could feel the rough hair that was her beard growing in, she had known that it would when she ran out of shaving supplies and chipped the razor that had been a gift from Bungo, but having the company see it was different. 

“Fili? What’s wrong, is something wrong with our Burglar?” Bilbo felt a sob build in her chest as Thorin wandered over. 

“I’m not sure Thorin, Kili and I were just teasing and then she got all,” Bilbo got the idea that Fili was waving a hand in her direction. 

“Burglar are you well?” Thorin asked and Bilbo whined, she couldn’t believe the horrible prank was turning this mess. “Oin! Come tend our burglar something is wrong!” 

“NO!” Bilbo shouted sitting up quickly while pulling her hood up as well. “Fili just embarrassed me is all.” She said sniffling. 

“Is it your beard? It’s a nice beard.” Fili assured, “Better than Kili’s that for sure.” 

Bilbo and Kili’s shouts were simultaneous.

Thorin looked at his sister-son curiously, “I didn’t know hobbit grew beards.” 

Fili shrugged, “Neither did I but Bilbo’s is fine, I don’t remember it at Bag End though,” his eyes widened, “Has she been cutting it? Do you think she did something bad? What if she’s a murderer?” 

“Bilbo Baggins is no such thing, Mister Fili and if you would all stop gawking at her I’m sure she would explain.” Gandalf said suddenly appearing from behind the dwarrow. Gandalf had wandered off when they made camp for wizard business as he called it. 

The rest of the company had slowly caught on to the spectacle that the line of Durin was causing and had shuffled over for a better look. Bilbo remained curled up her head hidden by her hood and sniffles very obvious to the others. 

Gandalf waited a full minute before he sighed very heavily and took toward the sky, “Shall I tell them then, Bilbo?” 

“NO! I’m a hobbit there’s nothing to tell!” Bilbo cried to the confusion of the company.

“No Bilbo Baggins you are not a hobbit or rather not only a hobbit. I was there at your birth child your mother had never hid your parentage from you why do you insist on hiding it from yourself?” The wizard asked, “Bilbo Baggins is a special product of the joining of a hobbit mother and dwarf father, what term did you other use? Dwobbit. Yes, Bilbo Baggins is a dwobbit.”

The assembled dwarrow gasped and exchanged startled looks. 

“Why do I hide it?” Bilbo reached up and pulled her hood away in anger. “After being told you are hideous a few times you begin to catch on that something’s wrong. Never mind that your hair is wrong and so are your feet, never mind the interests you have. Why don’t you like flowers Bilbo? Why do you have to play with rocks all the time?” 

Bilbo glared at the company defiantly for a moment before dropping her head again. “I didn’t want Fili and Kili to tease me, I already know I’m useless as a burglar and I don’t need anymore from you all.” 

“You have a really nice beard?” Fili tried again, and gaped as his words made Bilbo burst into loud angry sobs. 

For a moment the entire company froze, unsure how to handle the crying dwobbit in their company. Females were rare in dwarrow society so few had any kind of experience dealing with crying females. 

“Come now, lass, don’t cry,” Bofur said stepping forward. “Fili didn’t mean any harm.” 

“Really I didn’t,” Thorin’s heir said panicking in the background. 

“Let’s sit by the fire and see if we can’t be Bombur to cook us up some warm food,” Bofur charmed, carefully putting his arm around Bilbo’s thin shoulders. “Everything looks better on a full stomach.”

Carefully and with much prodding, Bofur managed to maneuver the dwobbit burglar to the fire where Bombur’s pot sat. The rest of the company reluctantly fell into their normal pattern of setting up camp as the sun continued to sink beneath the horizon.

It wasn’t until Bofur had near forced a bowl of stew down Bilbo’s throat that any real conversation began. 

“Won’t you take down your hood, lass? We all know now and it must be warm under there,” Bofur said trying to convince the dwobbit to remove her hood. Something she had been wearing since she sat down in front of the fire. 

“No.” Bilbo said shortly cross her arms. 

Bofur with the patience of a long suffering uncle tsked. “No one will laugh or say anything about your appearance, lass, I swear it.” 

Kili opened his mouth to talk but a quick elbow to the side from his brother stopped him from speaking. 

The company ignored their burglar’s sniffle as she slowly pulled her hood down. In the firelight, as the sun had begun to set some time ago, Thorin’s company was finally able to get their first true look Bilbo Baggins. 

Seeing her beard properly come in, the dwarrow suddenly realized just how much she resembled a young dwarf. She was shorter perhaps than other dwarrowdams and her bootless feet were a bit odd but the only question that truly remained was, how old was their burglar?

It was Gloin that asked, just barely beating out Bombur the other father in the company, as the fit she had thrown a few hours ago very much reminded him of his young Gimli. “How old are you, lass? It’s hard to judge without yo-” Nori gave the banker a sharp shove to keep him from mentioning Bilbo’s beard and continued Gloin’s sentence much to the relief of everyone involved. 

“Because you are half-hobbit,” Nori interjected. While not entirely tactful it was better than what Gloin had been about to utter. 

The company ignored the straightening of Bilbo’s spine and the nasty look she shot the flame-haired dwarf. “It is rude, Master Dwarf to inquire a lady’s age,” Bilbo said, sounding just as proper and hobbity as she had back in Bag End. 

Gandalf, the old meddler, was fed up Bilbo’s attitude and happily answered, “Mistress Baggins is 50 years old, middle age to hobbits.” 

“How old?” Oin shouted unsure if he had truly heard the correct number. 

“50?” Kili gasped, “She’s...she’s…” 

“A child?” Thorin shouted turning on the wizard. “I asked for a burglar and you give me a child?”

“What? I am not a-” Bilbo tried to interject. 

“You charged me with finding a fourteenth member of your company and I did!” Gandalf thundered. 

“A child of only 50 years, that is the burglar you found me? What kind of dwarf do you take me for to use a child to bait a dragon?” Thorin yelled back, his company shouting similar things at the wizard. 

“Enough!” Gandalf shouted slamming his staff on the ground. “Enough of this, I know at 50 years Bilbo would be considered still quite young in your culture, Thorin, but she is comfortably middle aged by hobbit standards.” 

“But she is not a hobbit, this is something we have all learned today. By your own words you called Miss Baggins not a hobbit but a…” Thorin trailed off unable to recall the word the wizard had used. 

“Dwobbit,” Bilbo offered joining the conversation again after having given up during the shouted match. 

“Dwobbit, exactly. That implies that she is not simply a hobbit and her dwarf blood must be taken into account!” Thorin reasoned, his temper finally beginning to wane. 

“Should be take your dwarf blood into account, Miss Baggins?” Balin asked sidestepping his king and the wizard. “You would know best after all.” 

Bilbo was torn between being thankful that someone actually consulted her and irritated that she might actually have to admit to being younger than Gandalf seemed to think she was. “We were never quite sure how being half-dwarf would affect me, but when I reached thirty three and mother decided I hadn’t quite reached maturity. We decided that I must take after my dwarf sire in more than the obvious ways.” 

Gandalf turned an interesting color under his beard and while Thorin and the company looked slightly smug that they were indeed correct more than one appeared upset that she was infact closer to a dwarrow of her age than a hobbit. 

“How about we take up this discussion upon the morrow?” Bofur said stepping up, “The lass looks ready to drop where she stands and the rest of us could use a bit of time to cool our tempers, yes?” 

Thorin shot the miner a searching look but nodded his head. “Yes, lets.” 

Slowly the company began preparing to bed down for the evening. As usual, the dwarrow broke off into family groups. Fili and Kili by the the fire not too far from their uncle. Dwalin and Balin nearby, with Oin and Gloin not far from their cousins. Dori, Nori and Ori were opposite Fili and Kili with Bofur, Bombur and Bifur not far from them. No one looked happy when Bilbo took her normal spot further from the company and closer to the wizard. 

But they each held their tongue content to mutter in the rough language of the dwarrow until the wizard and young dwobbit burglar drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Khuzdul translations come from the DwarrowScholar's works and Khuzdul4U.

“What are we going to do with Miss Baggins?” Dwalin hissed to his brother and Thorin as they gathered together. 

“What can we do?” Thorin whispered back. “We are too far from her home to send her back alone.”

“Send the lads. Dis was never comfortable having her sons on this fool's errand, anyway,” Dwalin suggested. 

“They are of age,” Balin countered his brother, “Or near enough where Kili is concerned.” 

“And they are my heirs, I would not deny them the chance to retake their homeland,” Thorin said dismissing the idea. 

“But what are we to do with the lass?” Dwalin said bringing the conversation back into focus. 

“Do we have an idea of who her sire is?” Balin asked Thorin. 

“No, her features are familiar in the ways that all dwarrow are familiar,” Thorin replied. “The chances that her sire is part of the company is astronomical, he is likely to be of Ered Luin, though.”

“I would have thought Bofur to be her sire with how he hovered,” Dwalin remarked. 

“Nay, I have not lain with a hobbit lass in my memory,” The miner/toymaker said joining the conversation. “I am simply a dwarf that knows the temper of young dwarrowdams. Bombur has three Mahal blessed daughters and I play favored uncle very well.” 

“Three daughters?” Thorin whispered shooting the fat dwarf an awed look. Children were precious to dwarrow and daughters more so, as they were so rare. 

Bofur nodded proudly, “Five children altogether, so I’ve had my share of experiences with young ones.” 

“She resembles Fili,” Dori added, having given up pretending to not be listening to the conversation. “Light colored hair and her nose is obviously of the line of Durin.” 

Fili eeped as his brother laughed softly. “I am too young to have sired her!” He squeaked. 

Thorin shot his heir an unimpressed look, “No one is suggesting that you did.” 

“I thought she was Thorin’s,” Gloin added, “Frerin had that same fair coloring.” 

“I have not lain with a hobbit!” Thorin hissed at the thief. “Nor produced an illegitimate offspring!”

Gloin shrugged unconcerned. “Just a thought.” 

Nori sniggered in the background with Oin at Gloin’s words. 

“She resembles Nori a bit as well,” Kili added thoughtfully. “His hair color is very similar to her’s and their eyes are shaped the same.” 

Dori’s eyes shot open wide and Ori coughed into his arm to keep from laughing. The company watched as the thief’s eyes widen just a bit before he began to pale. Quicker than a dwarf should have been able, Dori snagged his brother by the arm and drug the frozen thief away from the camp. 

“Nori, you answer me and answer truthfully, is it possible Bilbo is yours?” Dori hissed, unwilling to raise his voice very high. 

Nori didn’t answer his mind was whirling with memories. Nori was a dwarf with wandering legs and sticky fingers. Most of his time was spent honing his craft, like many dwarrow did, but for him that meant time away from Ered Luin and his brothers. 

Nori had likely seen much more of Middle Earth than any dwarf in the company. By way of that Nori had also met more non-dwarrow than others in the company, and while he was dedicated to his craft Nori was not one to refuse the pleasure of another. More often than not the being that he shared a bed with was not a dwarf. Nori had shared a bedroll with men, hobbits and even an elf once after having one too many ales. 

The more he thought about it the more likely it seemed. Nori could see the resemblance between himself and the dwobbit. The color of their hair, while her’s held a slight hobbity curl, was nearly the same, with Bilbo’s being more sun bleached. Their eye shape, like Kili had mentioned was exactly the same though the color was different. There were a few other similarities that Nori had noticed but hadn’t connected to himself before. The dwobbit was strong. He had noticed that Bilbo had little trouble with her pack and had moved Dwalin’s warhammer when he left it in her path when they stopped to refill their water skins two days ago. Nori had brushed it off, but now he couldn’t let it go. Dori and Ori both inherited their mother Kori’s legendary strength while Nori had inherited her coloring, it appeared that Bilbo may have inherited both. 

Dori watched the emotions crawl across his brother’s face and closed his eyes, “Oh Nori.”

Nori jerked out of his brother’s hold and marched back to camp, ignoring the curious eyes of the company and their not so subtle whispers. 

Dori rushed to Ori side and whispered something to his youngest brother that made the young dwarrow glance wide-eyed at his middle brother. 

Nori continued to ignore everything and crept silently to the dwobbit’s side. Gently, Nori gave Bilbo a soft shake, just enough to rouse her. 

“Bilbo,” Nori whispered. “Bilbo!” 

Bilbo blinked sleepily at Nori, “Nori?”

“Bilbo what is your mother’s name?” He asked softly. 

Bilbo frowned confused, “My mother? Why does it matter?” The dwobbit still mostly asleep gave a small yawn and tried to close her eyes.

Nori gave Bilbo another small shake, “Bilbo, it’s important. What is your mother’s name?” 

“Bella-” Bilbo gave another yawn, before continuing. “Belladonna. Belladonna Took.” 

Just as gently and quietly, Nori let the dwobbit lass settle and retreated back to the group of dwarrow impatiently waiting by the fire. 

“Well?” Thorin asked when Nori was in hearing range. 

The thief, didn’t answer instead he turned his gaze to his older brother. “Dori Koriul, I present to you my nathithuh zê, Bilbo Noriul,” Nori said.

Nori’s family wasn’t the richest in Ered Luin, no dwarf was truly rich in the Blue Mountains but some were better off like Thorin and his cousins. Dori and Nori worked hard, in different ways, to provide for their small family. But still no matter how small or how poor, they were still dwarrow and they were still distantly related to the royal line of Durin, therefore Dori insisted they practice some ceremony. 

“We will need to have a birâkun ishmerafrân,” Dori said breaking the tense silence. “Assuming you mean to claim her-” 

“I will not leave her binzatazirikhul,” Nori spat hatefully. 

Dori just nodded and the conversation died. No more was said about Nori, Bilbo or what was to come. 

\--

“Bilbo are you still hungry?” Dori asked fretfully. Food was always a worry on the road but now know they were traveling with a tween dwarfling, never mind Bilbo was his nadadnathith, and young dwarrow needed to eat well. There were far too many times when youngster went hungry. 

The dwobbit shot Dori an uncertain look, the first few days of travel when Bilbo had complained about not getting enough to eat the company had not reacted favorably so to be asked now was odd. 

“I’m fine,” Bilbo said stiffly. Ever since her revelation the day before about her heritage everyone in the company had acted strangely. 

Nori scoffed from atop his pony. Thorin’s company was eating breakfast on ponyback to make up for lost time. He knew Bilbo was still hungry he could hear her stomach rumbling and from Dori’s uncomfortable look he could as well. Without asking Nori urged his pony forward so it walked side by side with Bilbo’s and thrust his hand out, offering the dwobbit what was left of his dried meat. 

“Eat, we know you are still hungry,” He said not giving Bilbo a chance to refuse. 

Bilbo watched Nori and Dori push their ponies forward away from her own. She didn’t understand the change in attitude that came with them discovering she was part dwarf and that maybe she was a little younger mentally than she appeared. Still it didn’t explain the complete 180 that many of the company had treated her with. 

“Are you alright Bilbo?” Ori asked breaking Bilbo out of her thoughts. 

“Oh, Ori! Of course, I am alright,” Bilbo lied picking at the dried meat in her hands. 

“You don’t seem alright,” Ori prompted. He wasn’t sure how to act around the dwobbit now that he knew Bilbo was his brother’s daughter. He wanted to treat her like he had before but everything was different. Now every time he looked at Bilbo all he could see was Nori. 

“I, I’m just confused,” Bilbo finally admitted tearing off a piece of the food and popping it into her mouth. “After yesterday, everyone is treating me differently.” 

Ori frowned, none of them were being particularly subtle. Thorin hadn’t shouted this morning Dori and Nori were fussing. Even Fili and Kili were acting differently. “It’s just, you are younger than we expected. It’s thrown everyone off, I’d expect,” Ori said not telling the whole truth. 

Bilbo sighed. “I think there is more to it.” 

“I’m sure it will pass,” Ori said trying to reassure her. He didn’t mention that it was likely to pass if only because something bigger and worse came up. 

\--

“When are you going to tell her?” Dori whispered. 

“Soon.” Nori said shortly. 

“Someone will slip up if you don’t tell her quickly, you know how Gloin is,” Dori shot back. 

“I’ll tell her soon, Dori, I swear. It’s not exactly something to bring up during breakfast!” Nori said sharply.

Dori sighed but didn’t reply. He knew that Nori was just as concerned as he was if not more. The entire situation was spiraling out of control with every step they took. 

“What are we going to do with her, Nori?” Dori asked his brother. “Her contract is null since she isn’t of age and you didn’t co-sign, but we are too far to send her back.”

“And it will only become more dangerous as we continue,” Nori agreed. “I have no idea. I never expected this to happen and I know Thorin didn’t consider a child burglar either when he planned the journey. To make matters worse Tharkûn seems to be willfully ignoring the entire situation.”

“I can approach Thorin and Balin about having your contract dissolved,” Dori offered. “We may have to settle for Ori’s instead and have him escort her back to Ered Luin.” 

“We can’t afford to settle the contact,” Nori reminded his brother. “We would have to match a 14th of the treasure and we won’t have that unless we survive the dragon at the end of this quest. The only solution I’m seeing is to bring her along and hope we can find a safe place to leave her while we march to our deaths at the fiery breath of Smaug.”

“That’s what I was worried about.”

\--

“Bilbo, be a good lass would you and take these bowls to the lads, would you?” Bofur asked the dwobbit cheerfully. 

The company had stopped for the night after Thorin and Gandalf had an argument and Fili and Kili had been charged with looking after the ponies. 

“Of course,” Bilbo agreed. Ever since Gandalf had stomped off muttering about the stubbornness of dwarrow she had felt unease with the large group of virtual strangers. Fili and Kili were good lads, evidently not much older than she was and Bilbo often felt more comfortable speaking to them and Ori than she did to the others. 

\--

“We have a slight problem, you see we only have 12 ponies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul Translation:  
> nathithuh zê- literally: daughter-my first  
> birâkun ishmerafrân- accepting ceremony  
> binzatazirikhul- literally: without-whole-want-ed  
> nadadnathith- brother-daughter


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Khuzdul translations come from the DwarrowScholar's works and Khuzdul4U.

Bilbo was not a happy dwobbit. It all started when Fili and Kili lost the ponies. How does one lose ponies anyway? Trolls are the answer, great massive, smelly trolls that when they are denied ponies are perfectly happy eating poor innocent dwobbits. 

It started with Fili and Kili suggesting that Bilbo try to burgle the ponies back. At first Fili had made a concerned face at the thought of Bilbo braving the trolls alone but after a few words from his brother Thorin’s heir cautiously sent the dwobbit after the ponies. 

That of course went as well as one would imagine. It had been fine until Bilbo found that her knife, or rather Nori’s knife the dwarf had offered it to her this morning after learning she didn't have a weapon, wouldn’t cut through the ropes closing the gate. Bilbo wasn’t sure what made her go for the Troll’s knife but in the end it wasn’t worth it as she very quickly found herself covered in troll snot and much closer to ending up in the cooking pot. 

Of course that moment the company would choose to burst through the treeline and see her dangling in the clutches of the trolls. 

\--  
Nori felt as if his beard turned gray the moment Fili came running back to camp shouting about Bilbo and Troll. Nori wasn’t overly attached to the idea of a child. He wasn’t ready to be a father but he wasn’t ready to lose his daughter before she even knew who she was. 

Dori and Ori were right behind him as Nori tore through the woods to where Fili said Bilbo and the trolls stood. 

Never before had Nori wanted to harm Thorin’s heir but in that moment he couldn’t help but question, why was his 50 year old untrained dwobbit daughter facing trolls alone? 

Seeing Bilbo in the hands of the trolls was the most frightening thing Nori had ever seen. He tightened his grip on his mace and angrily charged the trolls his brothers right behind him. 

Nori couldn’t remember much about the fight, it was very brief, but it ended with the trolls threatening to tear off Bilbo’s arms. Nori was one of the first to toss his weapon to the ground and of course he and his brothers ended up on the spit while Bilbo was stuffed into a burlap sack. 

“Stop!” Bilbo shouted. Nori groaned softly, he wanted nothing for his little dwobbit daughter to wiggle free and escape. 

“You can’t cook dwarves like that!” Bilbo said scathingly. 

“Whut chu mean?” One troll asked curiously. 

“Dwarrow….are very tough. It’s because of all the rocks they eat!” Bilbo lied shooting Kili and dark look when Thorin’s spare began complaining. 

“Well how d’ ya suggest we cook our dwarves, Mister Burglhobbit?” A second troll questions.

“You...you...you have to skin them first!” Bilbo declared. The company shouted in anger, even Nori had to make a noise of protest. He wasn’t fond of being roasted over an open fire but being skinned seemed worse. 

“I saw we just eat ‘em, I’ve ‘ever had a problem eating dwarf raw,” The third said eyeing the company hungrily. 

“You really shouldn’t,” Bilbo tried again, “These dwarrow are very disgusting. They have...worms. In their tubes! They are just riddled with parasites!” 

The third troll grimaced and stepped away from the pile of dwarrow. “Parasites?” 

“You have parasites!” Kili shouted at Bilbo. 

As the spit turned Nori saw Bilbo’s exasperated look and sympathized. Thankfully Thorin wasn’t a dense as his sister-sons and managed to convey just what Bilbo was attempting to do. 

Unfortunately the trolls didn’t seem convinced. Thankfully, Gandalf didn’t much care and with the slam of his staff dawn turned the fell creatures to stone. 

Getting down from the spit turned out to be the most difficult part. 

\--

Bilbo wanted no part of the troll hoard, thank you very much. She was already dirty and smell from the damp burlap sack the trolls had forced her into and she had no desire to be around more of the stink. 

Many others in the company elected to stay out. Some like Gloin, Oin and Bofur ducked in the cave looking for treasure. 

“What were you thinking?” Bilbo jumped in surprise. She whipped around looking for the person who was yelling. 

She was both confused and surprised to see Nori shouting at Fili and Kili. She didn’t think Nori was particularly close to them. Maybe it was because he and his brother’s ended up on the spit? A quick look at the others showed that they too were watching the older dwarf berate Thorin’s nephews, but since no one looked willing to step in, there was likely nothing wrong. 

“You could have gotten Bilbo killed!” Nori shouted waving his arms wildly. Bilbo frowned, this was about her? 

“She wasn’t supposed to get hurt,” Kili said earnestly.

“I never meant for this to happen!” Fili added. 

“But it did! I should take your beards for this!” Nori snarled. 

Fili and Kili recoiled and Dwalin stepped forward. “Nori, that was out of line,” The tattooed dwarf growled. “They are but lads themselves. Foolish and young.” 

“Bilbo is nathithuh zê!” Nori shouted again. 

“Silence! What happened is past, everyone is well and we should move on from this place,” Gandalf said breezing past the collect dwarrow straight to Bilbo. “Here Miss Baggins, the next time you go up against trolls at least you will have some form of weaponry.” 

The wizard offered Bilbo what to her appeared to be a short sword. To others it was maybe a dagger. “I trust this to protect you on the road ahead,” Gandalf said. 

“But I haven’t a clue how to even hold it,” Bilbo protests, awkwardly holding the sword in her hands. 

“You will learn, attach it to your belt, like this,” Gandalf instructed. 

“But Gandalf-” 

\--

The most interesting thoughts cross one’s mind while running from orcs. That is what Bilbo learned first hand. It all started when that brown wizard appeared. Bilbo was more than a little fed up with wizards at that point, from the look on Thorin’s face he very much agreed, but still the wizard with a literal bird’s nest in his hair appeared shouting about all manner of things was not a good thing. 

Losing the ponies when they needed them to escape the orcs on their wargs was again,was also not a good thing. 

Being chased by those same orcs on wargs was a pretty bad thing. 

Still that didn’t stop Bilbo’s wandering mind. What was a nathithuh zê? And why did Nori think Bilbo was his whatever that word was? 

Why were the dwarrow being so strange? Bilbo didn’t buy Ori’s, ‘It’s because of your age,” excuse. 

“Bilbo move!” Bilbo gasped when Fili grabbed Bilbo’s arm and jerked her forward. An orc arrow embedded itself in the ground right where Bilbo had been only moments ago. 

“Kili! Take her!” Fili shouted over the noise giving Bilbo a harsh shove into Kili’s arms. 

“Right!” The dark haired dwarf shouted back. Once again Bilbo felt her being dragged along. “Come along Burglar, it wouldn’t do for you to get eaten by a warg! Nori is angry enough at us as it is!” 

“But why is Nori angry?” Bilbo yelled back. 

“No time to chat, go, go!” 

Being pushed into a rocky cave/tunnel was not a polite conversation stopper but it was effective. Bilbo landed on her bum with quite a bit of force. Once again she was given no change to right herself before a dwarf, Dori this time, very nearly plucked her from the ground and began checking her over for injuries. 

“Bilbo, are you well?” Dori fussed, scanning the dwobbit for wounds. 

“I’m fine, Dori! Just a bit sore,” Bilbo said, very uncomfortable with the fussing. She hadn’t had someone fuss over her like that since she was thirty. 

“Do we follow it?” Bilbo heard someone asked. 

The look on Thorin’s face said he would rather not but when it came to either following the tunnel or facing the orcs outside there was little choice. 

\--

Rivendell was beautiful, no one could deny that, though Bilbo was sure that Thorin would try. The air practically shimmered with magic but still as homey and beautiful as it was Bilbo felt uneasy for reasons she couldn’t explain. 

“Bilbo! Keep up!” Dori called making Bilbo sigh. 

“I’m coming,” Bilbo called back jogging a little to catch up to the main group. Gandalf had tried to talk to her when they first saw the valley but Bilbo had little patience for the wizard at that time. The changing attitudes of the company and stress of being chased by orcs left her irritable and tired. 

She was excited to meet elves for the first time. Bilbo remembered her mother sharing stories of her own adventures where she met elves and of course at least one dwarf. She hoped that the elves lived up to her mother’s stories. Dwarrow had been a little lacking. 

All too soon Bilbo found herself being shoved to the middle of battle ready circle of dwarrow. While she wasn’t pleased with the situation she was slightly grateful as the horses the elves road while they circled them, it was rather rude of them Bilbo would have treated a guest like that, were much, much larger than she was and Bilbo could vividly picture herself being crushed beneath their hooves. 

Finally the horses stopped and Bilbo as able to get her first glance at Lord Elrond. He was exactly as her mother had described, but she found his personality a little off putting. Speaking in Sindarin while Bilbo knew nearly all the company didn’t understand. Bilbo, recognized that Balin, and Thorin understood the elf lord as well, was a linguist at heart and she had quite a good grasp on Sindarin. So when Gandalf declared that Elrond offered them food and not insult she knew that was only a half truth. 

Still she would not turn away food, something Gloin and the others agreed upon. 

\--

While Dori had, to no one’s surprise, become very vocal in his looking after Bilbo, Nori had taken a stealthier approach. He slipped extra food in her pockets and pack, Bombur was a willing accomplice in that. Nori did his best to protect her, Dori and Ori helped with that. He even saw Fili and Kili protecting her while they were running from the orcs, something he supposed made up for the Troll incident. 

He watched her face glow when she first saw Rivendell and then he watched as her face slowly melted into a look of displeasure the longer she was in contact with the elves. Maybe that was why Nori took such pleasure in stealing every shiny thing he could, or it was at least part of it. Nori had been accused of having sticky fingers more than once. He wondered if Bilbo had been born with a similar skill set? She had been hired as a burglar after all. 

The meal had been a let down, leaves on a plate had been what they were presented with. Bilbo had looked disappointed but quickly dug in, while it appeared that she wasn’t totally happy with the food she didn’t seem to mind it too much as Nori watched her steal Bofur and Oin’s plates. 

“Bilbo is eating her green food,” Dori said trying to get his brother to eat something. 

“Then she can eat mine too,” Ori pouted sliding his plate down to Bilbo. 

Nori grinned and slid his own leay plate to his dwobbit daughter. “It’s fine Dori, Bombur is already planning our real meal.” 

Dori sniffed delicately and grimaced at his own plate before passing it to Bilbo as well. 

Thankfully the meal eventually ended, there was some singing and Kili’s poor attempts to flirt with a male elf and Nori might have ended up with several silver trinkets tucked away on his person and Bombur began cooking up a proper Dwarven meal. 

Thorin had provided the wood by cheerfully breaking a chair, poor craftsmanship he claimed. 

During the second meal Nori kept an eye on Bilbo. She spent her time talking with Ori and and occasionally Balin. Fili and Kili would interject and poke fun at the young dwobbit making her flush or laugh. 

“Talk to her,” Dori said softly. 

“I will when it’s the right time,” Nori fired back. 

“Now is the perfect time. We can even do the birâkun ishmerafrân here,” Dori countered. 

Nori arched an eyebrow, “A birâkun ishmerafrân? Here? Thorin would burst.” 

“It’s now or never,” Dori said finally.

Nori sighed and didn’t respond. Reluctantly the dwarf pushed himself up from his seat next to his brother and shuffled forward to where Bilbo sat. “Bilbo? Can I speak to your for a moment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul Translation:  
> nathithuh zê- literally: daughter-my first  
> birâkun ishmerafrân- accepting ceremony


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Khuzdul translations come from the DwarrowScholar's works and Khuzdul4U.

Nori wasn’t one to display his nerves, being a thief he prided himself on his unreadable face and steady hands. In this situation is face looked as if it were carved from stone but his hands betrayed him by shaking ever so slightly. Nori knew exactly what he needed to say, but he hated not knowing how Bilbo would react. Going into situations blind never ended well for him in the past. 

The dwarf could see that Bilbo was confused. The poor youngster had probably been confused since the day the company had discovered her secret. Going from rough, mocking interactions with a group of strange males to having them practically hover over her had to be confusing. 

“Look Bilbo…” Nori began struggling to get the words out. 

The dwobbit crossed her arms uncomfortable. 

“Do you remember the night we found out?” Nori asked trying to start again. 

Bilbo nodded slowly. 

“I don’t know if your remember this part but after you fell asleep I, uh, woke you up,” Nori managed to force out. 

“Okay?”

“I asked you-” 

“Bilbo? Would you join me please?” Gandalf called poking his head into the little room Nori and Bilbo had ducked into for their conversation. 

Bilbo looked uncertainly at Nori who waved her off more than a little relieved. “We can talk later,” Nori muttered as Bilbo moved uncertainly to stand by the wizard’s side. 

As soon as the dwobbit and wizard disappeared down the hall Nori slumped against the closest wall. “That went well,” he muttered. “Dori’ll not be pleased.” 

\--

“What do you mean you didn’t tell her?” Dori hissed angrily. Ori had slipped away the moment he saw Nori’s defeated look, the lucky bastard. 

“I was about too!” Nori insisted. “That dratted wizard swooped in and stole her away before I could.” 

While true, Dori knew his brother well enough to know that Nori was more than a little pleased to have lost his chance to speak to his new found daughter. 

“Are you ashamed of her? Is that why you are so hesitant to tell her?” Dori asked spitefully. “Before you made it very clear that you were going to claim her as your own, but now when you have the chance you refuse to take it!” 

“It’s not like that!” Nori insisted a little angry that Dori thought him ashamed of his little dwobbit daughter. Bilbo from what Nori had seen was a child to be proud of. She was beautiful, her beard once it grew in full would be stunning. Bilbo very much resembled her father’s mother, and Kori had been hailed as a great beauty. 

Beyond her looks Bilbo was brave, far braver than Nori. He could still remember her buying them time when the trolls had captured them. Beautiful, brave and with a mind to match Bilbo was the type of child a dwarf father would brag about until his dying breath. 

“Then what? Are you that much of a coward?” Dori demanded hatefully, tired of his brother’s cowardice.

“Yes!” Nori shouted, uncaring that the two had slowly drawn a crowd of nosey dwarrow for their conversation. “I don’t deserve her! Bilbo deserves better than a poor dwarf doomed to die by dragon’s fire for a father!” 

“What?” 

The entire company who had been not so subtly listening to Dori and Nori argue turned to see a rather shocked dwobbit standing next to an irritatingly smug wizard just inside the door to the room they had commandeered. 

Never before had Nori seen a group of dwarrow scatter to the wind. Even young Ori had disappeared dragging an unwilling Dori behind him. 

Bilbo, uncaring about the sudden disappearance of the company, moved closer to the only dwarf left in the room. Gandalf had made himself comfortable in a nearby man sized chair and Nori had the distinct impression that the wizard was not about to leave. 

The only thing better than a wizard audience for this conversion would be the return of the company and then their elf hosts joining in. 

“Nori?” Bilbo asked clearly growing upset. “What’s going on?” 

The dwarf sighed stroked his beard thoughtfully, there was little chance that someone else would interrupt them before they began this long overdue conversation. 

\-- 

Ori, Fili and Kili all had their heads pressed to the door that led back into the room where Nori and Bilbo had been left. 

“I can’t hear anything,” Kili whined straining his ears. 

“They aren’t speaking, idiot,” Fili said rolling his eyes. 

“Do you think Bilbo will yell?” Kili asked remaining in his position pressed up against the door. 

“Oh yes,” Ori said nodded. “Bilbo takes after Dori in that case, she’ll shout something fierce and Nori will either ignore her or cower in fear.” 

Dori snorted to cover a cough a few feet away where he was pretending not to be listening to the youngsters listening at the door. Some of the company had given up any pretense of not attempting to listen in. The older members had even employed a few mining tricks to listen better. Bofur had a glass cup between his ear and the wall and Gloin had stole Oin’s ear trumpet. 

The rest of the company had retreated to the furthest wall content with listening to the information the eavesdropper would gather. 

“Oh! I can hear Nori!” Ori announced. “He’s telling Tharkûn to shut up.” 

\--

“I have something to tell you,” Nori began weakly trying to gather his thoughts. 

The wizard scoffed and puffed at his pipe but didn’t speak. 

Bilbo looked between Nori and Gandalf still confused but growing more irritated. 

“It’s about what you told me that night I woke you up,” Nori pushed forward and stopped. 

The trio sat in silence for a few moments before Gandalf prompted the dwarf to speak. “Well?”

“Your silence would be appreciated wizard!” Nori snapped. “This is difficult enough without your interference!” 

“It wouldn’t be difficult at all if you would just tell her, Master Nori!” The wizard shot back looking irritated with the dwarf. 

“Tell me what?” Bilbo demanded finally growing tired of the secrets and unfinished sentences. “What have you been trying to tell me? Does it have something to do with how everyone has been treating me? Do you have something against half-dwarfs?”

“No!” Nori denied. “That’s not it at all-” 

“Then what is it?” Bilbo shouted waving her arms in frustration. 

“You are my daughter!” Nori shouted back throwing his arms up angry at the wizard, himself and the entire situation. “You are my daughter and I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Oh.” 

\--

The company to the last dwarf was pressed ear to the door or wall listening to what had devolved into a screaming match much sooner than they had expected. Even majestic Thorin had shoved his nephews from their spot by the door in order to hear better. 

“They are coming out!” Someone shouted and and the dwarrow scattered trying to pretend that they hadn’t been listening into what was a private conversation. 

Bilbo fled from the rooms before anyone could catch her and Nori shuffled behind her, not trying to catch the young dwobbit. 

“Heard all of that did you?” Nori asked sounding exhausted scanning the group that was very obviously trying to pretend to be uninterested. 

“Of course!” Bofur said cheerfully. “Went pretty well I would say.” 

Nori just sighed and cradled his head in his hands. 

\--

Bilbo screamed into her knees using the cloth of her walking breeches to muffle the sound. This trip had been a disaster since the start. Thorin’s company had been, not cruel but not welcoming to the young female since the moment she had joined their quest. Sure she had complained something awful at the start but she was unused to travel and harsh environments. 

The moment the assorted group of dwarrow had discovered her true heritage of being half hobbit and half dwarf the entire dynamic changed. They no longer saw her numerous complaints as that of a whining spoilt adult, but rather cranky dwarfling not yet in her majority. 

It wasn’t all bad of course, Bilbo did find herself with more food than before something she would have never complained about. Dwarrow who had never spoken to her had found themselves in conversations with her. Bofur, Bombur and Bifur had even began teaching her some of the hand signs that Bifur used to communicate. 

The problem came from the secrets. Bilbo had long since recognized that they were hiding something from her. Nori’s yelling. Dori’s fussing. Ori’s helpfulness. It all made sense now. 

Bilbo wanted to smack herself. How could she not have figured it out? The company was anything but subtle. Never mind that Nori looked exactly how Belladonna had described Bilbo’s sire all of those years ago. Right down to the three pointed hair style. 

How could she be so blind? Bilbo let her head fall forward onto her drawn up knees again and resisted the urge to cry. More than anything Bilbo wished her mother was there. 

So lost in thought Bilbo didn’t notice the tall, lethe body that had joined her on the balcony until he move to sit beside her. 

“It is a beautiful night tonight,” Lord Elrond said neutrally. 

Bilbo sniffed hard but didn’t say anything in reply. 

“The truth can be a freeing thing even if the words hurt,” the elf lord continued not bothered by her lack of response. 

“I’m just confused,” Bilbo admitted sneaking a look at the elf king. Since their arrival Bilbo had found their elf host rather underwhelming and a little disappointing. He been very rude to the company and didn’t resemble the elf in Belladonna’s stories at all. 

“Rightfully so,” Elrond said meeting the dwobbit’s eyes. “It is not every day that one meeting their birth father for the first time, yes?”

Bilbo scowled and turned away. 

“Are you angry at him?” Elrond questioned. 

“Yes but I can’t decide what for,” Bilbo complained. “My mother explained-” 

Bilbo paused she felt off telling a stranger her feelings toward her ‘father’ especially after all of the bad things she had thought about him. 

“Your mother was a good friend of mine, young Bilbo. If I can I would very much like to assist you, even if it just listening,” Elrond told her. “After all those of us that are born two of halfs of different races must stick together.” 

Bilbo turned wide eyes on the elf lord who smiled. “Well?” 

\--

Nori paced the length of Bilbo’s room waiting. Ever since the mess that was his attempt to speak to his daughter where she rushed off to hide Nori had been waiting to speak with her again. Dori had descended upon him once again and berated him for his inability to do anything right. Ori sensing a true fight coming on had drug the eldest ‘Ri brother off. 

In a true fight Dori and Nori were surprisingly equal. Though Dori had been gifted with Kori’s immense strength Nori was a true fighter. He was quick, smart and deadly. 

The others of the company had also noticed the tense situation and had walked on eggshells around them until Thorin had declared it time to turn in the for the night. The King without a Mountain had ushered his nephews to their room and soon enough did the others. 

Nori, knowing better than to retire to the same room as his brothers, had ducked into the room set aside for Bilbo as the only female of the company. Hearing the door finally push open and the familiar footsteps of Bilbo’s barefeet on the stone floor had him pause his pacing. 

Bilbo jumped ever so slightly when she noticed that she was not so alone in her room as she expected to be but she settled quickly. 

“Nori,” She greeted stiffly and unsurely. 

“Bilbo,” Nori greeted in response. “We need to talk.” 

Bilbo looked as if she would rather face a horde of pursuing orcs on wargs. Nori sympathized as he wouldn’t be too upset if the sounds of warg howls sounded at that moment. 

“Alright,” Bilbo agreed standing stiffly still practically in the doorway. 

Nori sighed for the umteenth time that night and motioned to the bed. “Have a seat this isn’t a conversation to have in the doorway.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In wich Nori flails and Bilbo is a moody teenage dwobbit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this chapter really just an excuse to write awkward Nori and to further my desire for awkward family feels. Let's be honest this whole fic is to feed my desire for family fic. The plot of the Hobbit is just a convenient excuse. Don't expect much more than awkward family building. 
> 
> All Khuzdul translations come from the DwarrowScholar's works and Khuzdul4U.

Never had Nori saw Bilbo look so small. His dwobbit daughter climbed up on the bed and curled in on herself and the dwarf felt his heart clench painfully. Nori wondered if this was how every father felt when they saw their child so upset. He was ready to do just about anything to get that look off her face. 

“About what you learned today,” Nori began. “That might not have been the best way to tell you.” 

Bilbo didn’t say anything and Nori winced. 

“Not that I didn’t want you to know!” Nori said quickly. “I did, and I do! All children are precious and daughters above all else, but I wish there had been a better way to tell you.” 

“Why did you wait so long?” Bilbo asked in a small voice. 

Nori sighed and hopped up onto the opposite end of the bed where his daughter sat. “Because I’m an idiot. Dori would tell you the same,” Nori added. 

“I just don’t understand,” Bilbo said picking at the fabric at her knees. 

“Ah Bilbo,” Nori started. “You have to understand. I never expected to have children.” The dwobbit’s eyes grew misty and Nori hurried to finish his thought. “But I wouldn’t trade you for anything! It’s just .. have you ever found something, something you never expected to have but once you have it you could never imagine living without it again?” 

Bilbo actually thought about it for a while but shook her head. “Well, that’s what it’s like, I’ve never been one to settle down and I’m not exactly the family type,” Nori said. “But now that I know you are my daughter I could never imagine anything differently.” 

“So you aren’t ashamed of me?” Bilbo asked in a small voice. 

“Mahal, no!” Nori shouted waving his arms. “Where would you even get such an idea?” 

“I’m not a proper dwarf or a proper hobbit!” Bilbo wailed bursting into tears. “I’m forever stuck in this vile in between!” 

Nori grimaced and flailed about uselessly as the young dwobbit buried her head in her knees and sobbed. Tears, what did he do about tears? Panic was building up in his chest and more than anything Nori wished someone was there to help him. Dori, Ori, even Dwalin would be welcomed with open arms at this point. 

“Ah, please don’t cry,” Nori begged uselessly as Bilbo continued to cry.

“Please don’t cry, I don’t know what to do here,” he admitted still flailing about. “Think, Nori, think, what did Dori do when Ori used to cry?” The thief asked himself. When Ori was still young Nori could just remember Dori petting the dwarfling’s hair and humming softly. It was how he soothed nightmares but surely it would work here? 

Awkwardly Nori crawled across the bed and sat next to Bilbo, he left a little space between them as he wasn’t sure the dwobbit would like to be crowded. “Uh, there, there?” Nori said as he patted Bilbo’s head gently. “Please stop crying, it can’t be healthy to cry that hard. There, there.” 

Without warning, Nori felt his dwobbit daughter shift and before he knew it Nori found himself with a lap full of sobbing dwobbit. The dwarf stiffened for a moment and his normally clever hands flailed about before he settled them, one rubbing jerky circles on Bilbo’s back and the other on her head as she sobbed into his chest. 

“There, there,” Nori repeated over and over again. “It’ll be alright. It’ll be alright.”

\--

They didn’t speak that night. Bilbo sobbed herself to sleep in Nori’s arms and the dwarf didn’t have the heart to wake her. Eventually, he tucked her into the too large bed and camped out in a nearby chair for the night. Middle aged by hobbit standards or not Nori was not leaving his, not yet of dwarf majority, daughter alone in a room by herself. Not with the young princes running about. 

Nori knew they wouldn’t dare trying anything improper, he’d kill them before they even ran to their uncle for protection, but he didn’t trust them not to prank her. She didn’t need that stress right now. 

Still, Nori slept poorly, elf chairs were dreadfully uncomfortable. He had to see about getting a cot or something for the rest of their stay. When the sun had just begun to peek above the horizon Nori pulled himself up and after checking on a peacefully sleeping Bilbo Nori quietly left the room to join his brothers. 

Dori took one look at his brother, red-eyed from lack of sleep and hair mussed, and pounced. The fussy dwarf forced Nori into a chair, loaded him up and plate and attacked his hair. “Rough night?” Dori asked sympathetically. 

Nori grunted and shoveled food into his mouth. “She cried herself to sleep,” Nori admitted. 

Across the table, Bombur winced in sympathy and gave the new father an extra bit of meat. “I hate it when my girls cry,” the redheaded dwarf said in agreement. “Feels like my heart is being torn out.” 

“That’s why his lovely wife is the disciplinarian,” Bofur added with a chuckle. “Bombur’s too soft hearted to punished is girls when they do wrong.”

“Aye, my darling wife said the same thing,” Gloin admitted from his seat. “Claims I”m too soft on my wee Gimli. He’s a good lad, though…” 

Beside his brother Oin rolled his eyes and tucked away his ear trumpet. The old dwarf had likely heard and likely witnessed every story Gloin had about his ‘wee Gimli’. 

“She thought I was ashamed of her,” Nori muttered into his plate. “Ouch Dori!” 

The older dwarf gave a sharp tug on Nori’s hair. “You told her otherwise of course?” Dori asked sharply. 

“Yes! Yes! Of course, I did!” Nori insisted slumping when Dori stopped tugging on his hair. “I’m not that stupid.” 

Dori just rolled his eyes and finished Nori’s three pointed hair style. “All done,” the older dwarf sat taking a seat next to his brother. “I should go wake Ori, should I wake Bilbo as well?” 

Nori frowned but nodded. “She needs to eat,” Nori said. He had noticed she ate a lot, and aside from still being young hobbits seemed to be big eaters. “Where are the others, anyway?” 

“Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin are speaking to our hosts,” Gloin said with a sneer. “The lads were exploring last I heard.” 

“They had best leave Bilbo alone,” Nori said firmly. “She’s had a rough few days and doesn’t need their mischief.”

“Aww, you sound just like Dori!” Ori called from the doorway. Nori’s younger brother had joined them before Dori could go fetch him. 

“What? I do not, you take that back right now,” Nori said glaring at his younger sibling. 

“I shan’t because it’s true,” Ori teased slipping into his chair beside his brother. “You’re turning into a regular old fusspot like Dori. Hey!” 

From Ori’s other side Dori slapped the younger dwarf on the shoulder. “Don’t tease Nori, you know how he gets,” Dori warned. “And don’t call me a fusspot. Behave, the boy of you while I fetch Bilbo.” 

Ori and Nori sulked, much to the rest of the table’s enjoyment as Dori left to get his brother’s daughter. 

\--

Bilbo had been staring at the wall for almost ten minutes now. She hadn’t found the motivation to move just yet. Her head hurt something awful and her face felt sticky from all the crying. Bilbo couldn’t believe she had cried on Nori like that. The poor dwarf had been so out of his depth but he had handled it well. 

That was part of the reason Bilbo was still there. She was embarrassed. She had honestly meant to sit down and have a reasonable, civilized conversation with Nori but, well, that didn’t happen. She asked the one question that had been burning in her mind since she ‘learned the truth’ and then sobbed like a fauntling. Had Belladonna still been alive, she would have- well actually Belladonna would have likely laughed her head off at Nori’s poor attempts to sooth the dwobbit after wrapping Bilbo in a warm hug. The other hobbits in the Shire, though, they would have verbally tore Bilbo to shreds for acting so far ‘below her age and station’. 

Bilbo whined and pulled the blanket over her head. She could never leave this room. Imagine if Fili and Kili learned that she had cried on Nori like some sort of child. They’d never let her heard the end of it. There was a washroom attached to the sleeping quarters so Bilbo didn’t really ever have to leave. Maybe if Bilbo asked nicely Lord Elrond would have someone bring her food and maybe a few books? 

Plan decided Bilbo buried her face in her pillow and waited for the rest of her life to speed by. 

“Bilbo? Are you presentable?” A voice called from the door. 

The dwobbit wanted to scream. It was Dori, her uncle now she thought. Maybe if she ignored him, he would go away? 

Bilbo sighed into her pillow when she heard the door open and the dwarf tsk softly. 

“What are you still doing in bed? You’re going to miss breakfast,” Dori said closing the distance between the door and the bed. 

“ ‘m not goin’,” Bilbo said, her words muffled by the pillow. 

“Not going to breakfast?” Dori said confused. “Are you ill? You’ve never missed a meal before.” 

“ ‘m not sick,” Bilbo said, again into the pillow. 

“Would you please pull back the blanket and get you head out of the pillow? It’s hard to understand you like that,” Dori said. 

Bilbo just shook her head and heard Dori sigh. Much to her annoyance, Bilbo felt the blankets being pulled off of her and felt the bed dip, where assumingly Dori took a seat. 

“What’s the matter, Bilbo?” Dori asked gently. “Did Nori say something to upset you? He probably didn’t mean too, he’s… just not good at, well a lot of things, truly. But I know he didn’t mean to upset you.” 

Bilbo sniffled and pushed herself upright. The dwobbit girl turned to face the dwarf that was her uncle. “Nori didn’t upset me,” Bilbo said flushing slightly. “I-I cried on him last night.” 

Bilbo saw Dori’s lips twitch. “He had no idea how to handle that did he?” Dori asked. “He always ran the other direction when Ori cried as a babe.” 

Bilbo giggled slightly and nodded. 

“And now, let me guess you are embarrassed that you cried all over him yes?” Dori asked cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Seeing Bilbo’s reluctant nod, the dwarf continued. “You need not be worried, no one will tease you about it.” 

“They won’t?” Bilbo asked softly. 

“No, not unless they want to meet Nori’s war hammer,” Dori told her. “He was every adamant that the lads leave you be today, and the rest of the company will respect his wishes. They are crude and rough but not malicious.” 

“Promise?” Bilbo asked in the same soft voice she had been using all morning. 

“I promise,” Dori said with a smile. “Now, go freshen up and we will go get what is left at breakfast.” 

“There will be something left?” Bilbo asked fretting over the possibility of a missed meal. 

“Even if there isn’t Bombur wouldn’t mind making you something,” Dori said soothingly. “Don’t fret. Now go on, get ready.” 

\--

The company, because the wayward members had rejoined the group since Dori had left, all turned to look at Bilbo and Dori when they entered the hall where they were having breakfast. Dori smiled widely, promising pain with his eyes if anyone said anything to Bilbo that set her off. From his stop standing behind her, Dori could see Fili and Kili shift anxiously. Nori had likely spoken to them as well. 

Bilbo shuffled in and took the empty seat beside Ori who gave her a warm smile. Across the table, Dori saw Bofur give the dwobbit a jaunty wave. 

The elder ‘Ri brother took his seat next to Nori and elbowed him harshly in an attempt to get the dwarf to say hello to his daughter. Nori felt just as awkward as Bilbo did after the night of awkward bonding. 

“Morning,” Nori grunted sliding a plate of food to his daughter.

“Good morning,” Bilbo said quietly gratefully taking the plate. 

Breakfast was awkward and stilted. The dwarrow talked amongst themselves leaving only Ori and Dori talking softly to Bilbo. Nori and his dwobbit daughter resolutely avoid each other’s eyes and pretended as if they had never met. 

Toward the end of the meal Thorin called the attention of the group. 

“Lord Elrond had agreed to aid our quest by reading the runes on the map,” Thorin said meeting the eyes of his company. “Unfortunately, as they are moon runes and require the proper moon phase to be read we will be staying here until they can be seen.” 

“How long?” Bofur asked from his spot at the table. 

Thorin grimaced and looked away for a moment before bringing his attention back to the table. “Two and a half weeks.” 

“That’s more than enough time for a proper birâkun ishmerafrân,” Dori whispered to Nori. 

The new father nodded reluctantly, a literal home of elves wasn’t the best place to have the ceremony that claimed Bilbo as his daughter but it was better than having it out on the road somewhere. 

“Now you just need to tell Thorin and Bilbo,” Dori said still whispering. 

Nori groaned softly and let his head fall to the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> birâkun ishmerafrân- accepting ceremony


	6. Chapter 6

Bilbo knew the dwarves were up to something. Ever since breakfast three days ago Bilbo had spotted them more than once standing in corner muttering to themselves or hauling things from one place to another. Normally Bilbo would assume that they were simply complaining about their elven hosts or moving objects to irk them but Bilbo had noticed that the dwarves tended to stop speaking whenever she wandering into hearing range. Had they simply been complaining about elves Bilbo knew they would not have bothered stopping just because she was around. 

She had asked Ori about it, and her new found uncle had simply rolled his eyes and told her to ask Nori. Bilbo, still feeling awkward around her new found father, had grimaced and not done that. Ever since she had cried on Nori like a fauntling Bilbo had found it difficult to meet her father’s eyes. More than that, she was still a little angry about him keeping the secret for so long and uncertain how to act around him. 

Bungo Baggins had raised Bilbo as his own. Her hobbit father had been kind and soft and very different from Nori the dwarf. Nori was sharper and his actions regarding Bilbo stilted. She knew that he explained that he simply wasn’t use to have children. Ori and Dori had further explained that dwarrow would sometimes choose to continue honing their craft rather than seek to make a family. Nori had expressed his intention rather early in life, and so Dori and Ori had taken it upon themselves to eventually continue the family line. Still, they assured her, Nori was immensely proud of Bilbo and wouldn’t trade her for all of the gold in middle earth. 

Still, that left Bilbo wondering just what the company was up to. 

\--

Nori knew Bilbo was curious, and Dori was becoming more and more insistent that Nori actually tell Bilbo what was going on. Truthfully, Nori had meant to tell her but after watching his dwobbit daughter sneak around and try to find out herself Nori left it alone. Nori didn’t have a traditional craft to pass-along to his child. Most parents would teach and train the any offspring in their personal trades before the dwarfling went off to find their own personal craft. It was a bit of insurance if the craft wasn’t something as simple as being a blacksmith, that once the dwarfling came of age they would have some kind of practical skills to feed themselves with while they learned their craft.

So before Nori took up thievery as his craft and trade of choice he had been trained in Kori’s craft of textile weaving just Ori and Dori had. While Dori eventually declared textile weaving to be his craft Nori had begun making use of his nimble fingers in a different way. 

So, Nori figured that letting Bilbo snoop around and do her best to burgle some information from the company was probably the best way to pass his craft to his dwobbit daughter. And it was great fun watching her stalk Kili and sometimes throw little rocks at the princeling and his brother whenever she grew frustrated. Nori was still of the mind that Thorin’s heirs were on thin ice with him, should they do something else to endanger Bilbo … well let’s just say that Dis would quickly find herself Queen under the Mountain. 

\--

“Bilbo! What are you doing here?” Kili said in a loud obvious voice. The dwarf was trying and failing to act as a lookout for a particular room the company had commandeered and refused to let anyone enter. 

Bilbo gave the older dwarf a dry look and crossed her arms over her chest. 

Kili laughed weakly and tried to casual lean on the door frame to further block the door from her. 

“What’s going on in that room Kili?” Bilbo asked plainly. Sneaking around wasn’t getting her anywhere and she was getting rather frustrated, so she decided to try her hand at forcing the information out of someone. That someone being the easiest target, Kili. 

“Nothing,” Thorin’s spare lied trying to add a cheerful smile at the end like his brother did when he lied. Bilbo noted that Kili hadn’t quite mastered that smile yet. 

“So everyone in the company is just gathered in a room doing nothing,” Bilbo said her voice thick with disbelieve. 

“Exactly,” the dwarf doubled down on his poor lie. “Just sitting around, you know trading war stories, normal dwarf stuff.” 

“Then it’s no problem that I go in, yes?” Bilbo reasoned. “I am a dwarf after all.” 

“Uh, no!” Kili shouted. “It’s male dwarf business, you understand. Not for dwarrowdams to hear.” 

Bilbo felt her cheeks flush with anger and her hands moved from their place crossed over her chest to resting her hips. “Males only?” Bilbo hissed watching as Kili seemed to shrink a little as her anger grew. How dare they! How dare they come to her house, drag her along on his dratted quest (never mind that she came willingly in the end), force her to reveal her half-dwarf heritage, and then claim some kind of boy’s club! She was lonely! Bilbo had admittedly grown used to the attention she had begun receiving from the company since they learned she was half-dwarf. The past three days reminded her dreadfully of the quest before they found out. No one spoke to her, no one spent any time around her, they practically fled from her presence. Bilbo had had it with their behavior. 

“What gives you the right!” Bilbo began thrusting her finger into Kili’s face, never mind the five or so inches of height he had on her. “A boys club, as if I were not a member of the company! As if my quick thinking did not buy you all enough time with the trolls!” 

Kili opened his mouth to try and respond but Bilbo’s scathing glare made his mouth snap shut in a second. 

“I’ve had it! I’ve had it with how you lot have treated me since I joined this foolish venture!” Bilbo shouted. “This hot and cold behavior is making my head spin! First, you hate me, then you like me and now you’re back to hating me!” 

Kili’s face quickly shifted from terrified to horrified as Bilbo’s anger slowly melted to frustrated tears. 

“You and Fili are always so mean to me and then the whole thing,” Bilbo jerked her hand in a wide arc gesturing to the situation. “With Nori and I, and I…. I can’t make it anymore!” 

\--

Fili had been standing on the other side of the door snickering, listening to Nori’s daughter take Kili to task and demand answers. He could just picture Kili’s face as the young dwarrowdam pounced on his poorly worded excuse of “boys only.” 

Kili had never been able to handle tears, especially a young dwarrowdam’s tears. Fili thought it ironic since his younger brother had spent so much of his younger days gripping their mother’s leg and crying. 

Still, when Fili noticed that Bilbo’s anger had flowed into tears he saw Nori straighten up and stalk toward the door. Fili, partially to see his brother’s face and partially to save his brother’s face from Nori’s war hammer shook his head and indicated that he would handle it. Fili ignored Nori’s disbelieving look and carefully pushed open the door. 

Kili, having noticed the door opening, shuffled out of the way and Fili found himself face-to-face with a tearful dwarrowdam. “Bilbo!” Fili said pulling the door shut quickly. “Kili, brother, what did you do?” 

Kili stammered out some excuse and Fili rolled his eyes. “Poor lass, you’ll have to excuse my brother he’s never been the sharpest sword, you understand-”

“- Hey!” 

“-He gets it from our uncle, I’m afraid. No social skills at all,” Fili continued carefully laying his arm over Bilbo’s shoulders to turn her away from the door and toward the fountain that the dwarrow had claimed not far from the hall. 

Bilbo gave a pathetic little sniffle had had Fili’s mind racing. He had to get her calmed down because if she started crying again Kili and Fili were likely to meet the wrong end of a war hammer. “He’s absolutely hopeless,” Fili began. “Mother and I both tried to teach him but like with braids, the lessons never stay with him.” 

“Uncle doesn’t even take him on diplomatic trips anymore, Balin says that between the two of them our people would find ourselves at war with all of Middle Earth if they were left alone with a bunch of dignitaries,” Fili confided. That was mostly true. Thorin was far too blunt and very obviously put his people’s welfare before everything else when making decisions. Kili on the other hand was very blunt and a poor liar. Dis, their mother, had said he had gotten that from her brother Frerin and from Fili and Kili’s own father and as endearing as she found the behavior it was not good for diplomacy. 

“Me, on the other hand,” Fili said with grand gesture and over the top presentation that had Bilbo quirk a smile. “I excel in these fields.” 

“He’s always been a teacher’s pet,” Kili interjected from behind them. “A right little scholar too, Thorin and Dwalin practically had to drag him off to training when we were young.” 

Fili felt himself flush a bit at Bilbo’s curious look. He did enjoy reading and he had taken to his lessons in ruling and diplomacy like a duck to water, but he was still a warrior and a precious metalsmith by trade and many believed those facets of himself to be ill-fitting. 

“Still,” Fili said attempting to steer the conversation back to where he had attempted to go. “What I am trying to say, is please forgive my brother, he often finds himself with his boot in his mouth, sometimes literally if someone gets a hold of him.” 

Bilbo gave a sullen sniff and gave the blond dwarf a skeptical look. “I’m still mad at him,” She told him sending the dark-haired brother a hateful look. 

“As you should be,” Fili agreed ignoring his brother kicking out at his ankle. “He’s a dreadful liar.” 

“So there is something going on!” Bilbo said triumphantly. 

“Of course!” Fili agreed easily. The birâkun ishmerafrân wasn’t exactly a secret but the others had noticed that Nori hadn’t spoken to Bilbo about it yet and had followed his lead. Bilbo was his daughter after all and it wasn’t their place step in and speak to her about it. 

“So what is it?” Bilbo demanded. 

Fili offered his best-placating smile. “You’ll have to ask Nori, I’m afraid, it’s not my place,” He told her truthfully. 

“Not your place to what? Talk to me?” Bilbo asked growing frustrated again. “Everything is a great big secret to you dwarves! Your language, your familiar relationships, your ‘boys only’ meetings! I’m sick of secrets!” 

From a few feet, away Fili saw Kili adopt his ‘oh dear Mahal save me from this crying dwarrowdam” face and knew he had to act fast. “They are your secrets too, Bilbo,” Fili pointed out trying to stave off more tears or anger. 

“Yeah,” Kili butted in. “It’s not like you’ve asked or anything.” 

Fili hid a wince at his brother’s blunt statement but pushed forward. “Balin has been waiting for you to approach him with questions about Khuzdul,” Fili admitted. “I know Bofur, Bombur and Bifur have been teaching you our signed language but I know you’ve heard our spoken one as well.” 

Not that Balin would have begun teaching her until after the birâkun ishmerafrân but still he was waiting for her to approach him or for her father or uncles to approach him to arrange the lessons. Normally dwarflings were raised speaking Khuzdul and then taught common later, Fili and Kili had been raised speaking both with Balin as their tutor and he was probably the only one fit to teach Bilbo on the quest. 

“How was I to know that I could just ask?” Bilbo said growing confused. “Gandalf had told me, you lot were particularly secretive and that you wouldn’t appreciate any nosy questions.” 

“Maybe as a hobbit, Thorin and Balin would have not been too happy with your asking questions, but you’re a dwarf Bilbo,” Fili said furrowing his brow, how odd that Bilbo sometimes considered herself a dwarf, like she when confronted Kili not so long ago, but mostly appeared to consider herself a hobbit. “It’s your birthright the same as mine or Kili’s.” 

Bilbo’s face seemed to close off and Fili wondered just what he had said that had upset her. 

“Fine,” She said and before the brothers could say anything more Bilbo was gone. 

“What was that about?” Kili asked wide-eyed and confused. 

“I have no idea,” Fili admitted shaking his head. 

“Girls,” Kili scoffed, and though Fili didn’t say anything he silently found himself agreeing. 

\-- 

“So I heard you had a rough time with the lads this afternoon,” Nori said. The ceremony room was finally ready, or at least as ready as it was going to be. This elven palace was no mountain but Nori had done stranger things in worse places. It was his luck that his daughter would have her birâkun ishmerafrân her of all places. 

According to the lads, they had managed to calm Bilbo down and distract her for a while until Fili said something that upset her again and she ran off to hide. Not that she was hiding very well if that was her purpose. Nori had found her settled back into her room curled up on the bed looking rather upset and lost in thought. 

Bilbo made a questioning noise and turned to the doorway where Nori was leaning and blinked in surprise. “What? Sorry, did you say something?” Bilbo asked drawing away from her deep thoughts and back to the world around her. 

Nori smiled a bit and stepped into the room further. “The lads tell me you had a bit of a fight this afternoon, is everything alright?” Nori said again, this time adding the question. 

Bilbo scowled at the memory but nodded. “I’m fine,” She said huffing a bit. “Kili’s an idiot is all.” 

Nori snorted a laugh and offered his dwobbit daughter a grin. “Aye,” Nori said. “You’ll have no disagreement from me there, but I will say that you look rather upset.” 

Bilbo frowned again and turned away. Nori’s eyebrows furrowed but he fully entered the room. He once again to the uncomfortable elven chair and watched his daughter. “Fili said you were talking about birthrights,” Nori said his voice turning uncomfortable. “I’m sure you’ve gathered that my brothers and I are not particularly high in station. Our mother, Kori, told us once our sire was of Durin’s line but we’ve never had any proof.” 

Bilbo didn’t react so Nori pushed onward. “I don’t have much,” Nori admitted. “I have no station or a place in the King’s court. Is that what’s bothering you? That I can’t offer you the things that you mother’s husband did?” 

Back in Bag End, Bilbo had looked very well off. Nori could remember that during their short-lived romance Belladonna had mentioned being from one of the important family in the Shire. It was possible that Bilbo was upset that her newly discovered sire was basically a destitute thief with nothing to offer her. 

“Oh no,” Bilbo said earnestly. “It has nothing to do with that! It’s just …” 

Nori waited patiently and Bilbo started again. “You saw my home, yes?” Bilbo began. “It’s a beautiful thing. Bungo, my father, had it built for my mother when they were wed. I guess that was after you had left.” 

Nori nodded and Bilbo continued. 

“When they died around the time of my hobbit majority, the Hobbiton was in an uproar,” Bilbo explained. “They left me everything. It was quite the scandal for Bungo Baggins to have left everything to his wife’s illegitimate daughter. The Baggins family threw an absolute fit. They petitioned to the Thain and everything. It took years of mediation and it was decided in the end, Bag End would be in my possession until my death and then upon my death, it would revert to the Baggins family.” 

Nori frowned. “But he left it to you, what right to do they have to take it from you?” 

Bilbo shrugged listlessly. “They claim it’s a family heirloom and though I may bear the Baggins name on paper as I am only part hobbit it would never be enough to properly inherit,” She explained. “So the talk to birthright just upset me is all. I’ll be right as rain tomorrow at breakfast.” 

“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Nori asked seemingly out of nowhere. 

“No, I’m not that hungry, truthfully,” Bilbo said with a small laugh. “I’ll just get extra tomorrow.” 

Nori shook his head and stood from the chair. “I said that I do not have much,” Nori said steadily. “I did not say that I had nothing. Please come with me Bilbo there is something that I must give you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> birâkun ishmerafrân- accepting ceremony


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so creating a ceremony is hard work and this chapter is basically just that. I think it's neat and I hope some of you do too. Next chapter we get back to the quest, but for now, enjoy!
> 
> A reminder that all Khuzdul translations come from the DwarrowScholar's works and Khuzdul4U. Also I took the dwarf naming convention from the DwarrowScholar as well, it's great.

Bilbo followed behind Nori hesitantly. Her dwarrow father hadn’t explained much of anything after his declaration that he had something to give her. Bilbo noticed right away that they were walking toward the room where Bilbo had noticed the company gathering and where Kili had been attempting to stand guard. 

Nori paused and turned to his dwobbit daughter. He put his hands on her shoulders and met her eyes firmly. “You aren’t going to know what’s going on, but please just bear with me, okay?” Nori said. “And know that no one made me do this.” 

Bilbo nodded confusedly and Nori offered a smile that was more of a smirk and pushed the door open. 

\--

The elvish room was unrecognizable. Great stones had been pulled from the earth and relocated to the room. The Company stood, polished and dressed in their traveling best, to the sides of the rooms with Dori, Ori, and Thorin at the far end opposite the doorway. Each dwarf wore their weapons displayed proudly and Bilbo felt utterly out of her depth. Her elvish letter opener, as the company had taken to calling it, was left on her bed. Nori hadn’t told her to grab it and had barely allowed her time straighten up her clothing before they left. 

Nori stood awkwardly some feet away and held out his hand to Bilbo. “Will you walk with me?” Nori asked, the words seemed normal but the way in which he said them felt oddly ritualistic to the dwobbit. 

Bilbo stared wide-eyed at her father and then to the members of the company who looked on, almost proudly. Nervously Bilbo reached out and took Nori’s had. 

\--

Nori had never felt so unsure of himself. Waiting to see if Bilbo would take his hand had felt like centuries. From the corner of his eye, Nori could see Dori smiling proudly and Ori’s happy face and the middle brother felt something like contentedness settle in his chest. 

Nori gave his dwobbit daughter’s hand a gentle squeeze and they walked together the short distance between the door and where Thorin and Nori’s brother’s stood.

In a normal time and a normal place, the dwarfling would be much younger. Accepting ceremonies took place as soon as the young dwarfling could walk or in the worst cases as soon as possible. Technically Bilbo had been claimed that night Nori presented her as his first daughter to Dori as head of the family. However, a birâkun ishmerafrân was more. 

The walk to Thorin felt as if it took one thousand years. As they walked Nori couldn’t help but imagine what this would have been like if Nori had known about his dwobbit daughter from the start. He could imagine an even more tiny Bilbo standing up straight and tall as she tried to match Nori’s steps and keep a hold of his hand. 

Nori smiled when they finally reached Thorin he gave Bilbo’s hand another gentle squeeze before letting go. 

No one spoke for a long moment. Bilbo turned her head ever so slightly to give her father a confused look that he ignored. 

“Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, of Durin’s line. King under the Mountain,” Nori said formally. 

“Yes, Nori, son of Kori? Speak,” Thorin said beginning his part of the ritual. 

Nori took a deep breath and turned so he was also addressing his brother, not just his king. “I have been blessed,” Nori said in the common tongue. This ceremony would normally be in Khuzdul but Nori had asked that it take place in Westron so Bilbo would have some idea of what was happening. Balin hadn’t been happy but had bowed to necessity. Thorin had been more upset about the location than the language he would use. 

“How has Mahal, our creator, blessed you, Nori, son of Kori?” Thorin asked solemnly. 

“I have been blessed with a daughter,” Nori said proudly. Bilbo gasped slight and the company gave a happy rumble as was the tradition. 

“A daughter,” Thorin said as if it were news to him. “Aye, you have truly been blessed, Nori, son of Kori.” 

“Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, of Durin’s line. King under the Mountain,” Dori said repeating the same words Nori had said just drawing attention to him. 

Thorin obligingly turned to face the dwarf. 

“Yes, Dori, son of Kori? Speak.” 

“My family has been blessed,” Dori said easily giving Bilbo a comforting smile. 

“How has Mahal, our creator, blessed you, Dori, son of Kori?” Thorin asked again with the same solemn air.

“My family had been blessed with a dwarrowdam,” Dori said. He reached out and took Bilbo’s hand that was closest to him and carefully tugged her forward. “I wish to present the daughter of my brother.” 

Thorin turned to Bilbo for the first time since the ritual began and looked at her like one would look at a particularly fine gemstone. 

“You have truly been blessed,” Thorin said to both Dori and Nori finishing his inspection of the dwobbit. “It is a great honor to welcome a dwarrowdam into your family.” 

“Aye,” Dori and Nori said in unison nodding. 

“And what of her name, Nori son of Kori?” Thorin asked Nori. 

Nori smiled. Dwarrow were granted four names in their lifetimes. Their inner name, their outer name, a descriptive name, and finally a patronymic name that indicated their lineage. A birâkun ishmerafrân was not the place for the announcement of Bilbo’s inner name but it was here that Bilbo would be given two of her four names. 

“I name her, Bilbo Noriul, nathithuh zê.” 

\--

Bilbo wanted to gape wide-eyed when Thorin smiled. The grumpy king rarely looked so happy and that the smile was turned on her made Bilbo want to whirl around and ensure that no one standing behind her making rude faces. 

Instead, Thorin nodded graciously at Nori and then at Bilbo. 

“Greetings, first daughter, Bilbo daughter of Nori,” Thorin said if he were meeting her for the first time, and perhaps in a way he was, Bilbo thought to herself. 

“Greet him, with his titles,” Nori said softly. 

“Greetings,” Bilbo began nervously. “Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the Mountain.” 

“Well met,” Thorin said and motioned to a great flat stone where several items lay. 

Bilbo let Dori gently tug her to the flat stone that had been raised to about waist height for the shorter races. The King under the Mountain move to stand with his nephews and cousins leaving only the brothers ‘Ri and Bilbo at the front of the room. 

“Bilbo Noriul,” Dori said. He still had a hold of Bilbo’s hand. On the rock acting as a table, Bilbo could see a small cake, a knife, and one of Ori’s have done knitting projects. Dori reached out a picked up the small cake and pressed it carefully into Bilbo’s hand. “For as long as I draw breath you will find a home with me. I will shelter you when my brother cannot. I will feed you when your table is empty. I welcome you as the daughter of my brother.” 

Bilbo looked at the cake and then up to Dori who nodded and Bilbo got the idea that she was supposed to eat it. Still very much confused but willing to go along with it, Bilbo carefully nibbled on the cake and when it’s sweet flavor hit her tongue she finished it quickly in just two bites. The company rumbled a laugh at her behavior and made Bilbo’s ears feel warm. Dori just smiled indulgently and moved closer and ever so gently pressed his forehead to hers. 

Ori stepped forward and took her hand. “Bilbo Noriul,” Ori began. “So as long as I draw breath you will find a home with me. I will teach you when my brother cannot. I will stand beside you until I return to the stone from whence we came.” Ori picked up the knitting and pressed it into her hands. “I welcome you as the daughter of my brother.” 

Ori gave Bilbo a smile and repeated Dori’s actions and pressed his forehead to her. He pulled back and stepped away to join Dori leaving just Nori and Bilbo standing together. Nori moved closer and stood side by side with his dwobbit daughter. Bilbo could see how the dwarf appeared a strange mixture of pride and nerves. He had been this way during the whole ceremony and Bilbo felt a flash of warmth for her newly-found father. 

“Bilbo Noriul,” Nori began. “For as long as I draw breath you will find a home with me,” Nori said solemnly. “I will provide for you when you cannot provide for yourself. I will teach you when you know not. I will protect you even when you can protect yourself.” Nori picked up the knife. It was small and Bilbo remembered seeing it before. It was the knife Nori had given her before the incident with the trolls when he learned she didn’t have a weapon. Bilbo couldn’t remember giving it back to him. He gently took the knitting project that Bilbo still had in her hands and set it aside. Nori then pressed the knife into her hands and curled her fingers around the sheath. 

“Bunnanunê,” Nori murmured. “I am not a wealthy dwarf and my kin have no claim to loft titles. I have only my craft and my brothers, but I offer them to you, my precious daughter. I know it can never be a sprawling home within a hill but what I have is yours. Bunnanunê, my tiny treasure, Mahal had blessed me beyond all comprehension. I welcome you as my daughter.” 

Nori gave Bilbo a tiny smirk and pressed his forehead to hers and the company cheered. 

\--  
The celebration lasted two days. Dori had told Bilbo, regretfully, if they hadn’t been on the road the celebration would have lasted a full four days and nights but they hadn’t had the time. Bilbo had just given her father’s brother a confused look and took the mug of elvish win that Fili and Kili had acquired and drank deeply. 

It took Bilbo catching Ori and forcing her youngest uncle to explain the ritual and what had just happened before she understood. Ori had explained that Nori had acknowledged Bilbo long before, the first night they all knew in fact, but the Ceremony had given Dori and Ori a chance to do the same. 

It actually gave Bilbo all the rights to her dwarf father’s legacy. As his firstborn, unless Nori had more children at some point, Bilbo was the sole heiress to Nori’s legacy and any wealth, titles, or other finery that he acquired over his lifetime would one day be hers. Bilbo had protested and claimed it unnecessary but Ori would hear none of it. He wisely didn’t mention that if he and Dori failed to produce dwarflings then Bilbo would also receive their legacies as well. 

Bilbo had taken the opportunity to press her uncle for all the information that came with a legacy. Ori went on to explain that with her status as a half-dwarf after the birâkun ishmerafrân she was considered a full-dwarf in the eyes of dwarven law. This was necessary, he told her, for her to learn their language, marry a dwarf above her station, and to eventually gain the perks of dwarvish adulthood when she turned 75. 

It was enough to make the young dwobbit’s head spin, and it only got worse when the night after the last day of the celebration Bilbo was awoken in the dead of night, long after the others had gone off to bed by her father’s hand over her mouth. 

Bilbo gave an aborted shout and Nori rolled his eyes. Acting in an exaggerated manner put a finger to his lips asking for silence. With his eyes, he asked if Bilbo would remain quiet and the dwobbit nodded slightly. 

“Come with me,” Nori mouthed before slipping from Bilbo’s room with nary a sound. 

Just as silently as her dwarrow father Bilbo crept from the room with just enough time to watch him slip into the room that he shared with his brothers. 

Bilbo slipped into the room and shared a confused smile with Ori and Dori. The room was dark, save a single candle nearly burned down to its end flickering in the darkness. 

Nori waved Bilbo over and had her sit. “What’s going on?” Bilbo asked softly. 

“It’s not known,” Dori said not answering her question. “But dwarrow are rare in that we have more than one name.” 

“Sorry? I don’t understand,” Bilbo said looking at her father and her two uncles. “What does this have to do with me?” 

“We typically acquire around four names during our lives,” Dori said continuing his explanation. “Our outer names which allow us to interact with the world, such as Dori, Nori, or Ori.” 

“Some of us take on epithets, like Oakenshield,” Nori interjects looking at Bilbo seriously. “There are some that take more than one of those but it’s rare.” 

“Nori named you Bilbo Noriul,” Ori said stepping in when he saw the question building on Bilbo’s face. “It means Bilbo daughter of Nori. Dwarrow do not carry family names and this is how we convey out family lines if we need too.” 

“Our final names are incredibly precious,” Nori said, his voice dropping so low it was barely more than a breath. “More precious than any gold or gem that we may acquire. They are our inner names.” 

Bilbo gave a soft exhale. She had never imagined this was what Nori was going to share with her. Dwarven culture was extremely secretive and she had never even heard whispers of this. 

“These names are never shared beyond family, Bilbo,” Nori said seriously. “You must never, ever share your name with anyone except your family.” 

“Should you choose to get married, it is the same that will be used in the private ceremony between you and your spouse,” Dori explained. “This is the name given to you by our maker, Mahal and to lose your name, to give it freely is to stop being a dwarf.” 

“Do you understand?” Nori asked. 

“I do,” Bilbo said shakily. She had never seen her dwarrow family so serious. 

Nori quirked a smile and nodded to Dori. “Dori, because he’s the best at this, is going to add your braids,” Nori said. Dori looked to Bilbo for permission and she nodded hesitantly. “You don’t have to wear them all the time, Kili doesn’t, but they act as an introduction as much as your name does. Ori can explain later but you’ll have one that declares my daughter. The bead that Dori is adding is one of mine.” 

Bilbo liked to imagine that was said with a certain amount of pride. 

“Another says you have not yet reached adulthood,” Nori explained as Dori completed each braid. “During each new accomplishment of your life, you’ll get gifted another. When you pick a craft, should you become blooded in battle, and so on. Don’t worry Ori will be happy to explain everything. Now, Bilbo Noriul, your name.” 

Bilbo sat up straighter. This was never how she pictured her life. It wasn’t perfect and in fact, she was more than a little annoyed with Nori springing this on her without her permission or knowledge but Bilbo was a bit of a scholar at heart and wanted to know. More than that after years of standing out, being so fundamentally different, being gifted a way in, a door to a people that wanted her she had to move forward. 

“I name you …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did intentionally leave out Bilbo's inner name. I have a plan for when you'll learn this and it's not now. ;)
> 
> Khuzdul Translation:  
> nathithuh zê- literally: daughter-my first  
> birâkun ishmerafrân- accepting ceremony  
> Bunnanunê - my tiny treasure

**Author's Note:**

> Like my fic? Wanna talk to me about it?? Find me on tumblr! 9cloud-nine9.tumblr.com


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